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Guidelines for kidney recipients differ on frequency of cancer screenings.

RENAL AND UROLOGY NEWS

Existing cancer screening guidelines for solid organ transplant recipients fall short in several key ways, according to a new review.

Cancer development and deaths are higher among transplant recipients than the general population, Nancy N. Baxter, MD, and Sergio A. Acuna, MD, of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and colleagues explained in an online report in the American Journal of Transplantation. Cancer screening of these patients remains controversial, however, because they often have multiple comorbidities and lower life expectancy.

"Transplant recipients should be aware they have a heightened risk of developing and dying from cancer and should advocate with their health-care providers to be screened for cancer," Dr Baxter commented in a press release. "Even though transplant recipients often have other serious medical conditions that could shorten their life expectancy, they also need to be screened for cancer to ensure early detection." Continue reading